'Spiteful' Tories accused of slashing Labour opponents' income in Barnet

Tories at a London borough are today accused of slashing their Labour opponents’ income as punishment for not signing up to a political deal.

The Conservative reforms at Barnet mean top Labour councillors who might have received extra allowances will each lose out on some £2,500.

Labour group Alison Moore claimed the Tories offered to let her members keep some money if they agreed to a “pairing” deal letting absent councillors have their vote matched by one from the other party.

But Conservative leader Richard Cornelius — while admitting he had “coupled” the deal with one which would have seen allowances reinstated for Labour councillors — denied the reforms were a punishment and said they would save the council £90,000.

The reforms follow the elections on May 22 which saw the Tory majority slashed. Barnet Labour group leader Alison Moore said: “The Tories acted out of spite. They have clearly lost the plot after losing so many seats.”

The changes will see the council move from a cabinet system to a committee system. Cabinet and shadow cabinet members got extra money on top of their basic £10,600 allowance, but now the allowances will go to chairmen and vice-chairmen of committees — and the Tory group has granted those positions to its own councillors.

The Labour group said Labour’s lack of senior positions on committees would make the council undemocratic.

Labour’s shadow London minister Sadiq Khan said: “The Tories’ behaviour is an affront to democracy. This smacks of sour grapes.”